


A Wedge Between Us

by Primarina (sherlockstummy)



Series: The Kitten and the Bug [5]
Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Crying, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/M, Multi, Open Relationships, Past Relationship(s), Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 20:54:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8683009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockstummy/pseuds/Primarina
Summary: "The problem, of course, was when casual sex turned into love."





	

“Hey, babe.”

“Danny! Oh my God, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Danny ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you last night…I actually…” He sighed. “I have to tell you something.”

“Okay…” Vie trailed off, sounding confused.

“So I know, like…” Dan bit his lip. “I know you said you’d be cool if…if I slept with a girl…”

“Oh.” Vie said in quiet realization.

“I mean, we’re just friends, and she knows the situation, so—” Danny began, but Vie interrupted him.

“Relax! I said it was cool.”

“Really? You sure you’re okay? We can talk if—”

“I’m fine!” Vie reassured him, a smile in her voice. “Are you still coming to the Grump Space today?”

“Yeah, all day everyday!”

“Cool. I promised I’d help Holly with some prop painting, so I’ll be there!”

“Great. I can’t wait to see you.” Danny smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Vie replied after the briefest of hesitations before hanging up.

Dan sighed, leaning against the wall of a foreign house, smelling like a foreign bed. It’s not technically cheating if your girlfriend’s okay with an open relationship, but hell, he sure still felt guilty.

On the other end of the line, Vie stared at her phone, slipping it silently between her fingers. This part always scared her the most. Sex was so intimate, and it wasn’t really long before…

She told herself this time it would be different, but she didn’t really believe that.

 

~

 

Text to Bugaboo: I’m going to be late tonight

Text from Bugaboo: Okay

Text to Bugaboo: Babe, are you sure you don’t want to talk this out?

Text from Bugaboo: No offense, but I don’t wanna hear anything about your sexual escapades

Text to Bugaboo: You still listen to my music

Text to Bugaboo: Bugs?

Text from Bugaboo: I gotta go. I’ll ttyl.

Text to Bugaboo: Okay! I miss you!

Text from Bugaboo: Miss you too.

~

Vie was doing laundry when it happened.

She had told Dan that she didn’t need to know when or how often he saw the girl he was having sex with. (Maybe it was his choreographer, but she didn’t know or care.) It didn’t really help that Dan insisted on giving her a head’s up when he’d be staying at her place.

Vie felt like the scum of the earth for wanting Danny all to herself. He was a sexual creature, and though blue balls couldn’t kill, they could be brutal. Her previous boyfriends, and a girlfriend, had told her so. Sex was a natural part of human life. Vie knew that, which was why she allowed an open relationship.

The problem, of course, was when casual sex turned into love, and one by one, they left her for their sexual partner.

But was it really a problem? After all, Vie couldn’t give them what they really wanted, what was important to them.

Danny’s shirt was in the bottom of the laundry pile. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, for their clothes to end up at each other’s houses, in each other’s laundry piles. It was only common courtesy to throw said clothing item into the wash with your clothes and return it clean. Vie checked the tag for any special instructions and was about to throw it in with her clothes when she smelled something…foreign.

It wasn’t Danny’s scent, or any of the colognes he wore that she was familiar with; in fact, it wasn’t a man’s scent. It wasn’t Suzy’s perfume. He never really got close enough to any other girl that he would smell like them, except…

Oh.

Vie sniffed again. Of course. 

It was her.

Vie tried to stop herself from tearing up, but she just couldn’t. The smell of her on his clothing made everything a reality, and, suddenly, Vie remembered Danny was with her again tonight, dancing beneath the sheets with her, their bodies touching, connecting, their eyes bright, falling on top of each other…

Falling in love.

Vie threw the shirt in the wash, then sat down, hoping the sound of her sobs would be drowned out by the whirring of the machine.

~

Text to Brian Wecht: Hey, I’m not feeling well today. I gotta call out.

Text from Brian Wecht: Sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better!

Text to Brian Wecht: Thanks!

~

Vie wasn’t out to everyone. Dan wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but it wasn’t his secret to tell. Vie had terrible experiences with trying to come out before, and she was understandably scared. But Danny didn’t understand her fears. After all, Arin was probably the most gay married guy he’d ever met and, hell, Suzy was bisexual. And even if everybody else was straight, they were all a ragtag bunch who had banded together out of mutual respect and interests. They had each other’s backs! Danny was certain nothing would change if Vie came out.

But Vie would come out when she was ready. Can’t rush the vital leaving of the closet, after all.

It wasn’t any of Dan’s business, but it worried him, because Vie couldn’t talk to anyone about her asexuality except him. Which was fine, except that it would probably be nice if she could talk candidly to a girl every so often. He wanted so badly for her to tell Suzy, because Suzy was so sweet and understanding, and, just like her husband, always ready with a hug and an open ear.

Vie had been so withdrawn lately, and it scared him, because he didn’t want to lose her. He loved her so much, and it hurt him that she couldn’t talk to him about…whatever the issue was.

And Dan may have been really bad at catching onto relationship cues, but he wasn’t stupid. He had a feeling he knew what the problem was.

Did Vie not trust him, or something? In his experience, Vie would grin and bear it rather than confront someone. Maybe that was the problem; she was scared of another fight.

Danny decided it was time for him to man up. These past few weeks had been absolutely wonderful, but he felt empty about the whole situation. He wasn’t doing anyone a favor, except maybe his dick. 

 

~

Text from xxx-xxx-5432: Hey! Do you still wanna come over tonight?

Text to xxx-xxx-5432: Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you…

Text from xxx-xxx-5432: We’re over, huh?

Text to xxx-xxx-5432: Yeah. Sorry.

Text from xxx-xxx-5432: It’s really hard to make open relationships work. Don’t stress out about it.

Text to xxx-xxx-5432: Thanks for being cool. We can still be friends, right?

Text from xxx-xxx-5432: Absolutely.

~

Dan heard distant sobbing as he unlocked Vie’s apartment, which really worried him. She hadn’t reached out to him or anything, and he’d been busy all day.

It occurred to him that he also hadn’t told her anything, and each sob was wedging a wooden stake that much deeper into his heart. (Wow, where did that come from? He’d been filming too much Ghoul Grumps.)

“Vie?” He called. There was a pained sound, and scrambling in the bathroom. “Vie?” Danny strode through the house, to the bathroom. His hand turned the knob, but it was locked. “Vie, please let me in.”

Choked sobs were still emanating from the door. Danny sighed and sat down, bracing himself against the pristine white door. “Can we talk, Bugs?” He asked, tilting his head back against the door.

Vie sniffled. “I thought you said you were going to go to her house.” Her voice sounded more broken than accusatory, a hiccup here and there as she tried to speak without sobbing.

Dan thought he had never felt more in pain in all his life. Nothing his sensitive Jew stomach had ever subjected him to was quite like this. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you I was coming.” He sighed. “Vie, I—”

“Just get it out already.” Vie’s voice was suddenly scathing. “Just say you’re leaving me.”

Dan blinked, incredulous. “What?” It sounded a bit harsher than he intended, but Vie just went on, her voice fading in and out between sobs.

“Because she’s pretty and funny and skinny. Because she’s good in bed. Because you love her.” Vie hiccupped again. “Because she…”

“Vie…” Danny heard the lock click and he stood up. 

But Vie didn’t open the door. And her next words were spoken in a tone so flat, so incredibly downtrodden and hopeless that Dan actually started to tear up.

“She can give you everything you want.”

In one swift motion, Danny opened the door and fell to his knees before her, barely taking in the scene. Vie was in yoga pants and a big tee shirt that was slipping off one shoulder. Her hair was in a ponytail, though it was disheveled, and she was curled against the cabinet under the sink, her knees up to her chest, face red and blotchy from crying, hiding from him.

“That’s not true, Vie,” Danny gently placed a hand on her shoulder, voice as soft and measured as his movements. “You give me everything I need.”

“Not sex,” Vie said darkly, exposing her face but studiously looking away from him, brow furrowed. 

“I don’t need sex,” Dan said, surprised to find out it was true. “I need you.” He sat cross-legged on the tile, bending forward towards her. It was hurting his ass, but he could think about that later.

Vie shook her head. “I…I don’t…”

“Sex is nice,” Dan admitted. “It’s fun, and I like it. I’m not going to lie about that.” He clasped his hands together. “But…I don’t want to have sex with her anymore. I just felt like I was missing something…” He was tearing up in earnest now, and he fought to keep his voice level. “I was missing you.” He smiled at his hands. “Your laugh, your smile, the way your cheeks go pink when you blush. Your eyes, your scent, the way you feel in my arms…” He glanced up, noticing she was watching him, and he reached out for her hand. “I don’t love her,” he said as she took his hand. “I love you.”

Vie uncrumpled and crawled towards him, into his lap. Dan repositioned his legs, curling them around her as she buried her face into his chest, sobs being wracked from her body anew. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight as if when she opened her eyes, he’d be gone, and Dan held her, taking out her ponytail and running his hand through her hair, silently crying with her, until she’d calmed down enough to speak.

Vie had moved her head to his shoulder and she was curled in towards him, still holding onto his slim waist. She sighed, her breath tickling his neck, and Danny tilted towards her slightly as she spoke ever so softly:

“That’s never happened before.”

“What hasn’t?” Dan kissed her forehead.

“Someone staying with me after I opened the relationship.”

Dan froze. “Oh my God.” He sat back, looking her in the eyes. “Vie…I’m so sorry.”

Vie shook her head. “No, it’s…it was my fault.” She smiled weakly. “I don’t understand the need for sex…so I never wanted to…to trap anyone.” She rubbed her eyes. “But they all left me because of that, because sex is important in a relationship.”

Danny pressed his forehead against hers, shaking his head. All of her behavior had made sense now. She’d honestly thought she was going to lose him. “No, it’s not. Connection is.” He put his hand against her cheek, their noses touching. “It’s about…being with your best friend.” He smiled tenderly. “It’s about finding someone who’s there for your best, and worst, moments. Who puts up with you when you’re grumpy or tired. Who encourages you to keep dreaming, and keep shooting for the stars.” He kissed her. “That’s connection. I’ve never been more aware of how…silly…the physical parts of a relationship are.”

Vie smiled back. “D’ya mean that?”

“Yeah, I fuckin do.” Dan kissed her again. “You are so important to me, Vie.”

“You’re important to me, too,” Vie murmured, nuzzling against his skin. “You don’t…have to give up sex…I don’t…”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter.” Danny told her, squeezing her. “You are all that I need and, hell, I can still masturbate!” Vie giggled against him. “I can still have fucking amazing fantasies about you, and I’ll be perfectly satisfied.”

Vie crumpled against him, breathless from laughter. “I swear, if you get a boner right now…”

“When have you not known me to be the king of boners?” Danny snorted, making her laugh again.

“Point taken, Sexbang.” Vie chuckled, nuzzling against him again.

“I don’t want you to think,” Danny said, resting a hand on top of her head, “that I’m going to leave you. Because I’m not.” He closed his eyes, taking in her scent. “God, you smell so good.”

“Mmm.” Vie hummed. “You smell better without her all over you.”

Dan’s heart dropped. “Oh my God, that must have been…”

“Me, crying in the laundry room,” Vie admitted, “thinking that, this was it. It’s been a good run.”

“No, no, no, no,” Danny crooned. “No, baby. Why didn’t you talk to me?”

“I felt…” Vie shrugged. “Selfish, I guess. Like I was depriving you.”

Dan snorted. “Trust me when I say that I am never deprived when it comes to you. Those guys were jerks.”

Vie sighed and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“Anytime.” 

Dan’s ass was falling asleep, but he didn’t move to get up until Vie did. She got up and then helped him up, chuckling as he groaned and rubbed his butt.

“Sorry.”

“Floors aren’t comfortable for small asses.”

“Please let me tweet that.”

“You don’t have a twitter.”

“No, but I can hack yours.”

“Oh God.” Dan snorted. “Hostile twitter takeover.”

“Terrifying twitter takeover?” Vie suggested.

Dan laughed. “I might just let you use that hashtag when you hack my twitter now.”

“And I use the word “hack” lightly. I know all of your passwords.”

“Great. Glad to know you can get into all of my social media.”

Vie laughed. “Is it too late for dinner?”

“I honestly couldn’t care less.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope it's not too repetitive, or anything. -_-' Vie's like me, she kinda gets into a "down on myself" spiral.
> 
> This actually highlights my own fears about open relationships, since I'm a sex-repulsed ace like Vie. Also, Vie's biromantic. Go figure.


End file.
